5 Holiday Gifts for the Farmer's Market Cliche

It's hard walking in the shadow of the farmers' market cliche. She eats better than you, is kinder to the earth than you, and has such a minute carbon footprint that you feel like Goliath lumbering after her as you scout fresh fruits and veggies together. And now you have to figure out what to buy her for Christmas.

Don't despair, even the farmers' market cliche falls prey to the lure of goods being bought and sold. She usually deals in coins and cabbages, but here are some holiday gifts she won't find while wandering the stalls:

She considers the farmers' market to be like hitting "the scene," so let her tote her freshly harvested turnips in style with a reusable tote bag showing off her hipster hero. She doesn't flaunt it like Joan anymore; but somewhere inside that earth green organic vest there beats the heart of a girl who knows what she wants and how to get it. Joan is every girl's hero.

She wouldn't let impure foods pass her lips, so why would she put toxins on them? A vegan lip gloss made of vegetable waxes, oils, and mineral pigments is a heckuva lot easier to smear on while you're stopped in traffic in your hybrid than berry juice -- but she doesn't have to compromise on her values.

Two words: Michael Pollan. The god of the eat-local movement hasn't put out a new tome this year, so you'll have to make do with one he contributed to (along with Barbara Kingsolver, Alice Walker, and more). An examination of how we should be reacting to the environmental tipping point, expect it to give her a new mission (you may want to get out of the way).

She's got her heart in the right place, so let her wear that passion on her sleeve: literally. Organic bamboo cotton is just the right look for picking up parsnips. If she wraps it just right, the farmer will be so distracted he'll throw a few extra broccoli florets in for free. That's better than free samples from Sephora for the farmers' market cliche.

She drags a wagon full of kids from stall to stall, so give her a hand: pick up something to occupy her "little helpers" and indoctrinate them into the love of all things fresh and fruity. It's one part game, one part sticker book and filled with recipes so the whole family can go home and mix up something wholesome.